RALEIGH — Philip Rivers and the N.C. State special teams unit showed Indiana how little things have changed in a year.
The Wolfpack defense has had quite a makeover, though.
Rivers threw for 243 yards and three touchdowns and the Wolfpack had two key blocked punts to cruise out of Carter-Finley Stadium with a 35-14 win on Thursday night.
Rivers, who completed
22-of-33 passes, had thrown for 401 yards and five TDs in last year’s 41-38 early-season win against the Hoosiers. He didn’t appear to be hurt by the absence of wideout Koren Robinson, who left for the NFL after last year.
“We have to remember that No. 17 is only 19,” Amato said of his sophomore quarterback. “That was his 13th football game, and he played it. We take this for granted, but he does an awful lot for that football team.”
Rivers relied on a few old hands in Bryan Peterson and Willie Wright. Peterson caught six passes for a career-high 115 yards for the Wolfpack (1-0).
Peterson scored once, catching a dump pass at the IU48 and taking it to the house for a 55-yard TD in the third quarter.
“You’re never going to replace a guy,” Rivers said. “But if you’ve got these guys, this is our team. Bryan Peterson has been making some big plays, I’ve been saying all along that he was.”
Wright, who had a career-high nine catches and two TDs against the Hoosiers last year, had two more touchdowns on Thursday night against IU
(0-1). His first score — a diving catch in the endzone — gave the Wolfpack a 6-0 lead with 3:29 left in the first quarter.
N.C. State’s special teams went to work next. Linebacker Brian Jamison broke through the middle to block Ryan Hamre’s punt in the endzone, and Troy Graham recovered it for a 12-0 lead.
Cornerback Brian Williams blocked another punt two minutes later that set up a
27-yard field-goal by Austin Herbert.
The Wolfpack have now blocked 11 punts in their last 25 games.
“Hard work in practice, that’s the secret,” Williams said. “We just go after it, we take pride in it. As an attack team, we just know it’s time to show up on game day.”
N.C. State’s defensive front showed up with an impressive effort, as well. The Hoosiers, who rushed for 230 yards in last season’s game, were limited to 108 yards, including 24 in the first half.
The Wolfpack had the ACC’s worst rushing defense last season. But with four players among the front seven being first-year starters at their positions, change has already meant improved results.
N.C. State had a shutout in the works until IU scored with 5:26 left in the fourth quarter.
Jamison, who has switched from defensive end to linebacker, had eight tackles.
Junior college transfer Terrance Chapman, a newcomer at defensive end, had two tackles for loss, including one sack.
“It was exciting,” Chapman said. “I’ve been to games, but I wasn’t playing. It’s different when you’re out there on the field, all the focus is on defense.”
The Wolfpack defense didn’t allow IU star Antwaan Randle El to break loose. Randle El played mostly at wideout and had four catches for 30 yards.
He played some quarterback but completed only
1-of-2 passes for 7 yards. He was contained fairly well running the option and had seven carries for 37 yards.
New starting quarterback Tommy Jones went 18-of-31 for 163 yards and was sacked twice.
“(Randle El) didn’t do a lot to hurt us,” Williams said. “I felt he would be more dangerous at quarterback.”
Randle El didn’t have the same success as last year, but the Wolfpack didn’t miss a beat.
Notes:The Wolfpack kicking team didn’t fare as well as the rest of its special teams crew. Herbert had an extra point blocked on the first touchdown and a field goal blocked in the second quarter.
“We’ve got to the correct the kicking game,”Amato said. “We’ve got to win and dominate the kicking game.”
Reserve quarterback Olin Hannum entered the game with 10:27 left in the game and rushed three times 38 yards.
True freshman Devonte Edwards, who has been praised recently by Rivers for his play at wideout, got the ball on the Wolfpack’s second play from scrimmage, but he was dropped for a 12-yard loss on an end-around.
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